Abzena offers integrated clinical translation of biologics with launch of ADC Cascade and Biologics Cascade

Cambridge, UK 07 October 2019 – Abzena, the leading biologics target to GMP Partner Research Organisation, announced it has augmented its antibody-drug conjugation (ADC) and biologics (including mono and bispecific antibodies) development services with the launch of ADC Cascade and Biologics Cascade. These ex-vivo platform approaches allow efficacy and safety studies against clinically characterized on and off-target tissues.

Clinical failure of ADCs and biologics remain high, and candidate lead selection is associated with significant risk for translation into clinical development. Pre-clinical testing evaluates target expression and toxicity in animal models but does not optimally link human tissue with clinical history and potential binding to healthy tissue, which may predict safety issues.

There is an opportunity to improve this approach. The patient population expressing the target of interest can be defined, and safety liabilities assessed, prior to candidate nomination.

ADC and Biologics Cascade is a new approach to ADC and biologics development, with a clinically oriented focus on the early design and developability of lead candidates. Abzena already has market leading developability and conjugation chemistry services and has now established a collaboration with a leading global provider of high-quality biological specimens to allow access to their 175,000 clinically characterized human tissue samples. Abzena’s Cascades will:

1. Augment target validation with biobank derived patient tissues to identify relevant patient subgroups
2. Enhance lead selection through rational design and cascade approach to evaluate linker and payload (or other conjugated moiety such as RNA) combinations. These can be bound to clinically characterized on and off-target tissues.
3. Candidate selection can include augmented ex-vivo safety and efficacy profiles.

Abzena’s CEO, Jonathan Goldman MD, said: “Patients and prescribers want assurance that new medicines are being developed that will improve their health and work safely. ADC and Biologics Cascade is a new approach in translational medicine. We are delighted to offer our clients a new approach that integrates a large biobank of very well characterized tissues with our conjugation chemistry (ADC) and developability (biologics) services”

About Abzena

Abzena provides the most complete set of solutions in integrated early discovery to mid-phase biotherapeutic and ADC drug development services in the pharmaceutical industry. The company maintains resources around the world, with facilities in the US and UK. Abzena is partnered with Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, one of the world’s leading private equity investors. For more information, please see www.abzena.com.